


What Love Really Means

by LinaBenliven



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Angst, Autistic Keith (Voltron), Established Relationship, Fluff, Heith Valentines Exchange 2018, Hunk (Voltron) is so Pure, Hunk (Voltron) is so understanding, Keith (Voltron) Angst, Keith (Voltron) is Bad at Feelings, Keith (Voltron) is a Mess, Keith (Voltron) is autistic, M/M, One Shot, POV Keith (Voltron), set after S4
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-14
Updated: 2018-02-14
Packaged: 2019-03-16 07:31:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,619
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13631592
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LinaBenliven/pseuds/LinaBenliven
Summary: Keith knows he shouldn't have tried to sacrifice himself. Matt told him. Shiro told him. But for some reason when Hunk tells him that, it feels different.





	What Love Really Means

**Author's Note:**

  * For [DianaSolaris](https://archiveofourown.org/users/DianaSolaris/gifts).



> So this was written for the Heith Secret Valentines and was my first exchange event! (I have done exchanges before but only with one very close friend and it was original work) And oh boy was it a delight to create this for Elliott.
> 
> With everything that's happened lately I hope this helps cheer you up a little <3

“You know what you did was stupid right?” Hunk asks me quietly as he sits down next to me. I hadn't even noticed the Yellow Paladin entering the hangar for the Red Lion. I had been far too lost in my memories of flying Red and ignoring what I had just tried to do to pay attention to the world around me.

  _I didn't want to pay attention to the world around me._

 The world around me was messy. It was messy and confusing and I didn't like it. I hadn't asked to fight this war. I had simply gone to find out what the strange energy was in the desert. I just wanted to have a break from having to kick Zarkon's ass every day.

 "Keith?" Hunk asks and I feel his fingers tangle into my hair, running his fingers through the dark locks that I knew he loved. He made sure to tell me almost every time we talked that he loved them. It was a small thing but it was part of the reason that I loved him. He made me feel good about me and honestly, I think I needed that.

Years of being abandoned by people that I loved had made me reluctant to trust anyone with my heart. Allura had told me that I had what Alteans called a _scaultrite heart._ A heart that was once so fragile but had encased itself in the hard material to protect itself. That only someone I cared about would know how to use it properly.

And I guess that that person was Hunk. He had made sure every step of the way that I understood what I wanted from the relationship. How far I wanted to go, how much I wanted to tell other people. Even how many times he called me while I was away with the Blade of Marmora. He never asked for anything from me that would make me uncomfortable. Simply allowing me to be me and move at my own pace.

Which made what Hunk wanted to talk to me about all that harder.

"I know you don't want to talk about it Keith but we have to talk about it." He said softly as he tilts my head up to make me look at him. I don't want to look at him while I admit what I did was stupid. I don't think I could do that to myself. Or to Hunk.

"Your right. I don't want to talk about it." I say softly, trying to stop the bitter tone seeping into my voice. I knew I was stupid. I knew I would have died if Lotor, of all people, hadn't broken the shield. I knew that.

Matt had already lectured me on it. Shiro had already lectured me on it. I didn't want Hunk to do that as well.

"We have to talk about it Keith. You nearly killed yourself with a second thought. Don't you think that's something that I deserve to be able to talk to you about?" The taller male's voice is so much calmer than both Matt's and Shiro's had been and honestly that's what makes it hurt more, not that it's from my boyfriend.

"I do... I just don't want another lecture about it... I know I was stupid. I know that." I mutter as I pull my knees to my chest and rest my head on them. I didn't want Hunk to see me cry. I feel him untangle his fingers from my hair as I move.

_I don't try to stop him._

"Do... Do you often have thoughts of killing yourself Keith?" His voice seems worried. I look up at him confused. Matt and Shiro hadn't asked that question. They had just told me not to do something so reckless again. "Because if you do... we need to get you some help, maybe you could talk to one of the Blades? Y'know, like a therapist?" He adds and I can see it on his face.

He's backtracking. He's scared he's overstepped the boundaries of the relationship that I'd set. The boundaries that I had set because I was incapable of loving Hunk the way that he deserved to be loved.

"Shouldn't you be the person I talk to if I have those thoughts?" I ask as I reach up to touch Hunk's cheek. I didn't want to hurt him, even by accident. The idea that my stupid, reckless behaviour had hurt him wasn't something I wanted to think about. But I needed to make sure that Hunk was loved just as much as I was in this relationship. After all wasn't that how relationships work?

"You should, but I know that it's hard for you to talk about those things with me." He said softly as he kisses my cheek gently.

"But it upsets you."

"Sometimes it does yes." Hunk admits quietly. He won't look me in the eyes as he admits it but I know why. He's scared that I'll react badly to him if he does. And that scares me. I hated the fact that he was scared of my reactions.

"But why do I get a free pass to hurt you like that?" I ask quietly, moving into his lap so that I could watch him a little closer. "That's not what love is, is it?"

"No, it's not. But you're so different to what's considered normal in this world Keith. You're different and that means everything else has to be a little different to accommodate that. That means _I_ need to be different to other people." He explains, his large hands brushing my fringe out of the way so he could see my eyes.

"And you don't mind having to do that?" I ask quietly, smiling a little as the Yellow Paladin shook his head.

"I knew I would have to do that when I asked you to be my partner Keith." He asks as he tilts my head up for a gentle kiss. It's nice, but it's over far too quick. I bite my lip and look down, considering my next move. Hunk was so accommodating and I needed to be able to let him know I appreciated that.

But, I couldn't promise to always talk to Hunk every time I had a thought like that. It would be impossible. Especially with the problems our communicators could have over long distances.

I could promise to talk to someone at least though. Another Blade member. Even Lance or Pidge would fulfil the criteria. I would just worry that they would tell Hunk how I was feeling.

"I know you would prefer me to talk to you when I get those kind of thoughts... But due to the communication we have to rely on it's not always possible so...what if I agree to talk to someone every time I get one of those thoughts?" I suggest as I watch Hunk for his reaction. At first, he seems taken aback.

_I take that as a good sign._

"If you feel like you would be okay doing that." He says and I nod shakily.

"It might be tough at first but I'll be doing it for you Hunk." My voice is quiet and I can feel my heart beginning to pound. "I'll be doing it because I love you." I add quietly before I bury my face into his shoulder. The cold armour pressing against my face offers little relief for my flushed cheeks.

I had just confessed to Hunk that I loved him. I had taken the first new step. I knew he loved me. He said that he loved actions that I did, or little parts of me, and Shiro had told me that's what love was.

He used to talk about me a lot to Lance, and every time Lance would talk about something I used to do Hunk would gush over it. Lance had said that's what love was. Coran had told me it was the way that even though I was no longer on the Castle of Lions, Hunk still made one of my favourite dishes once a week. Matt had told me it was the way that Hunk would laugh at a funny joke and tell him that I would have loved it. Pidge told me it was the way that Hunk still trained on the training deck at the times I used to train. A testament to how much he had memorised my schedule. To the point Hunk was still much larger than me, but most of him was muscle now. Allura had told me it was in the way I acted. It had confused me at first, as most Altean customs did but it made sense. The princess had pointed out that I made an effort to make sure Hunk wasn't left out of group activities and that when Hunk was included that I beamed.

But I knew that, the way Hunk made me feel, that was love. Willing to put one person beyond your comfort levels and go further then you ever had for them, that was love.

"I love you too Keith." He admits quietly, his lips pressed against my ear. An action that causes me to shiver out of excitement.

"Can you say it again?" I ask quietly. I needed to hear it again, to know that it hadn't been a dream.

"I love you Keith." He repeats before pulling me up for a deep kiss. His strong arms wrapping around my waist.

Hunk loved me and I loved him. There was nothing that could have felt better in that moment, and there was nothing that could ruin this moment.


End file.
